Richard Hatch, winner of the first season of Survivor in 2000, continue to speak out about his legal troubles related to unpaid taxes. Early last week he appealed his sentence due to his claims that he believed the Survivor producers would pay the taxes on his prize money. Now, he has talked to People magazine from jail about his current situation.

Hatch tells the magazine that prison is "horrendous because [he’s] an innocent man in jail." He concedes that his minimum-security facility is "better than county lockup."

"But" he continues, "people think I've come to a country club. It's not. This is prison. Just because it's got a beautiful view of the countryside doesn't make it a resort."

He’s making the best of his 51-month sentence by writing a book, but ultimately he’s just counting the days until his time is up or, although seemingly unlikely, his sentence is overturned.

Hatch’s claim that the producers offered to pay his taxes in return for his keeping quiet about cheating stretches the boundaries of believability. One has to wonder why – when the prize money was certainly not a done deal at the time he claimed this conversation took place – he wouldn’t have struck a bargain that would have ensured he came out with cash whether or not his Survivor peers voted him a winner. Whether his claims will make any real legal difference remains to be seen.